December 12, 2016     Visit Our Website      
The Jesse Tree And The Christmas Story
Written by Selina Zubia 

S ince medieval times, people have used the Jesse Tree to help tell the story of the Bible from creation to the birth of Christ. Fourth grade students in Mrs. Shogren, Mrs. Sorenson, and Mrs. Adkins classes have spent the last few weeks reading Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp. This book uses the concept of the Jesse Tree, along with devotions and activities, to bring the advent season to life.
 
The devotions focus on the miracle of Christmas, Jesus, and how He came to us through a line of imperfect people. "Unwrapping" one symbol a day that traces the branches of Jesus' family is an example of an activity students take part in.
 
As a visual, each fourth grade class has created its own version of the Jesse Tree. David Pabst, the father of Lauren in Mrs. Adkins' class, used his wood-working skills to design that class's Jesse Tree. Embossed at the base of the tree is Isaiah 11:1-10, "Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot. Yes, a new branch, bearing fruit from the old root. In that day, the heir to David's throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to Him and the land where He lives will be a glorious place." 
 
Lauren Pabst is proud of her father's contribution to her class and commented that all of the students are having fun reading the book and participating in the advent activities. Lauren said, "It was my first time hearing about the Jesse tree. It was amazing learning about God and Jesus' family history in more detail. My classmates and I experienced a lot of joy and inspiration about Christmas while listening to our teacher reading to us. This time in class brought significant meaning to the real meaning of Christmas."  As a reminder of the great hope found in Jesus, the students are each making a set of ornaments to take home and hang on their own tree.
 
Thank you fourth grade teachers for teaching our students the significance of Christmas in a unique and memorable way!
PCA Dazzles In Mount Pleasant Christmas Parade 

Sparkling lights set the stage for the joy-filled sounds of our choir students, and the enthusiasm of our cheerleaders and athletes as they made their way down Coleman Boulevard last night during the 21st Annual Mount Pleasant Christmas Parade! 
What a wonderful evening! Our school shined brightly and shared with the community exactly what it is that we love about the heart of Palmetto Christian Academy.  Thank you to all of our students who participated in the parade and to the families who came out to BurgerFi for a parade watching celebration! We are especially thankful for PCA mom Laura Broach for the countless hours she spent decorating our beautiful float!




Middle School Student Performing In Christmas Production At Dock Street Theatre

For the second year in a row, 7th Grader Andrew Lamm is fine tuning his acting chops in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in the historic downtown Dock Street Theatre. This year Andrew takes on the role of Ralph Herdman, the eldest of the Herdman children, who likes to bully anyone smaller than himself. The Herdmans are a poor family with what may be the "worst children in the world"! So imagine the surprise when this family invades church one Sunday and takes over the annual Christmas pageant. Can they possibly capture the true meaning of Christmas? 

"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" runs again this Saturday, December 17th with two performances, one at 11 am and an afternoon matinee at 3 pm. Andrew said of his experience, "The cast and crew are some of the most welcoming and kind people.  They make putting on the shows easier, and we feel like a family.  We have a fantastic director, Mr. Jesse Siak, who is so talented and makes acting fun.  Performing for local schools makes it a neat way for kids who normally wouldn't see live performances get the chance to see us in action.  Charleston Stage also offers a Sensory Friendly show for kids with special needs!  I love my experience with the company!"
Spread Christmas Cheer With Candy Cane Grams!
 
Share the joy of Christmas with your friends and teachers by purchasing candy cane grams with personalized messages. Click below for more information on Lower School (K-5) and Upper School (6-12) candy cane grams. Be sure to print out a form and turn them in with $1 per gram to your teacher or to Mrs. Jacobs. Upper School forms are due by Tuesday, December 13th. Lower School forms are due by Wednesday, December 14th.  PCA will be filled with holiday spirit when the sweet grams are distributed all over school!
Questions? Contact Katie Jacobs at kjacobs@palmettochristianacademy.org.

Slugs and Bugs LIVE Coming Soon!
 
Join us for an evening of music, laughter, and fun! Slugs & Bugs is a joyful, gospel-filled, interactive musical experience that appeals to preschool through elementary age children. You can enjoy this live concert on Wednesday, January 11th from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the ECBC Worship Center.

PCA's Annual Book Fair Is A Huge Success!

Thank you to all of the PCA families who supported our Book Fair! 
With your help, we were able to raise nearly $4000 scholastic dollars to bolster our PCA library with new books and supplies! 
Thank you to all of our parent volunteers who stepped up to help during the fair. We cannot do it without you!  And a special thanks to Book Fair Chairperson Leah Chadwick!  What an amazing job... we genuinely appreciate your hard work and commitment!
Mini Ecosystems
Written by Selina Zubia

Anyone walking through the window-lined hallway in the high school may have noticed several large mason jars sitting on a table. Inside each jar was an example of a different type of ecosystem. For those of us a few years removed from the study of science, an ecosystem includes all living things in a particular environment and how they interact/exist with each other. (Do you feel the knowledge flooding back??)
 
Third grade students in Mrs. Bahadur's class recreated ecosystems and wrote essays explaining the environment they selected. Some of the ecosystems displayed were mountains, salt marshes, and oceans. Each display showed creativity and an understanding of the lesson objectives.
 
If you'd like to learn more about ecosystems, feel free to ask any of Mrs. Bahadur's third grade students the following questions.
  • Can you identify the characteristics of the living and nonliving things in the ecosystem?
  • Can you differentiate between a community and a population and how they share an ecosystem?
  • What is the difference between a consumer, a producer, and a decomposer?
  • What is a food chain and a food web?
  • How do changes in an ecosystem affect living things?
Reconnect, Remember, Return: PCA Alumni Luncheon 

Palmetto Christian Academy invites alumni and their families to a special alumni luncheon on Thursday, December 15th at 11:30 am in the Annex. We will begin with a light lunch and a time of fellowship with our headmaster, faculty, and fellow alumni followed by classroom visits and an exclusive alumni gift.  We celebrate our alumni and look forward to seeing them on the 15th!
If you are an alumni family, please RSVP to Sarah Corley at scorley@palmettochristianacademy.org by December 9th with the number in your party. 

Upper School Christmas Concert Shares The Joy Of Christmas
 
Music filled the Worship Center as PCA students and families celebrated the joy of Christmas with songs of praise!  We enjoyed spectacular performances from  Upper School students  in our High School Choir, Middle School Choir and Middle School Band. Thank you Alysia Lambert, Kathy Thames and Mike Doll for a beautiful evening of worship!    



Lower School Christmas Chapel Celebrates The Birth Of Christ 
 
It's one of our annual PCA traditions that parents treasure... 
the Lower School Christmas Chapel which includes a dramatic reenactment of the birth of Jesus.  The Nativity scene is presented by our Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students. The program also includes our Lower School students sharing their talents through musical performances.  Students and teachers spent a great deal of time rehearsing, and it was evident during the event.  A special thank you to Pam Hall for her time in preparing our students for this wonderful chapel.



4-year-old Preschool
Preschoolers Worship Through Christmas Songs and Praise 
 
The preschool finished off a fun week of Christmas activities with some wonderful programs. The students and teachers worked diligently for weeks practicing Christmas songs and choreography. We enjoyed four Christmas programs packed with parents, grandparents and friends taking videos and pictures of our sweet preschoolers singing the Christmas story. We pray all of our preschool families have a blessed and wonderful Christmas!

3-year-old Preschool
Thursdays 2-year-old Preschool
Wednesdays 2-year-old Preschool

Early Release Day This Friday!  

We wanted to remind you that this Friday, December 16th is an Early Release Day for our students. Grades K-4 will dismiss at 11:30 am.
Grades 5-12 will dismiss 
at 11:45 am. 
Eagle Athletic News
Varsity Boys Basketball: Week In Review

The Varsity Eagles lost to Charleston Math and Science last Tuesday night 57-72. Maliek Brown led the team in scoring with 25 points, followed by Thomas Michel with 13, Cole Silvester with 6 and Julian Kent with 5.

The team traveled to Sumter over the weekend for the Baron Classic Tournament. On Friday night, PCA had a decisive victory over Laurens Academy with a final score of 52 -25.
The Eagles lost Saturday's game to Wilson Hall  65-71.  PCA's record is now 4-4 overall. 
The Varsity Boys next game is this Friday night, December 16th at 7:30 pm in the PCA gym against Garrett Academy.


Varsity Girls Basketball: Week In Review

The Lady Eagles defeated Charleston Math & Science last Tuesday with a convincing 70-33 win. Lindsey Ellington led the team's scoring with 16 points, followed by Mackenzie Patrick with 15, then Katelyn Howard     and Maddie Davidson with 11 points each.

Over the weekend, the team competed in the Baron Classic Tournament in Sumter and walked away with a win and a loss.  PCA defeated Laurens Academy 40-36 in Friday's game.  On Saturday, the Lady Eagles lost 39-56  to Wilson Hall.
The team's record is now 4-2 overall. 
Their next game is at home against Garrett Academy starting at 6 pm.
JV Boys Basketball Team Enjoys Big Win

The JV boys basketball team defeated Charleston Math & Science last week by a score of 48-30.  Miles Haight led the team with 14 points while Da'von Stuckey contributed 13. Drew Ashworth added 8 points and James Miles led the team with 4 rebounds while also contributing 6 points. The rest of the scoring is as follows: Cameron Sheets (3), Kendall Chakeris (2), and Joe Buceti and Brad Chaney scored 1 point each.
With the win, the JV boys moved to 2-2 on the season.

The JV Boys' next game is this Friday, December 16th at home against Garrett Academy. Tipoff is 5 pm.
Yes, I Will Help With Home Basketball Games! 

We're asking for your help to provide the best quality experience for our fans and guests at PCA Home Basketball Games. Will you take just a minute to sign up and volunteer for either gate and admissions or concessions during the season? We very much appreciate your time and willingness to serve! 


Important Dates To Remember
  • December 14 - Athletic Booster Club Meeting
  • December 15 - Alumni Luncheon
  • December 16 - Early Release Day
  • December 16 - End of 2nd Quarter
  • December 17 - January 3rd - Christmas Break
  • January 3 - Faculty Workday
  • January 4 - Classes Resume
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